Yin Hui got into bed, lay on her side, her eyes focusing on his figure blurred by the sunlight outside the window. “I was thinking, why did my second child come so late?”
She genuinely contemplated the question. In both lifetimes, she and Wei Luo had been intimate. Even in the previous life, when Wei Luo was upset due to her father-in-law’s neglect, they shared many nights together. The only difference was her mood. Wei Luo had been carefree that year.
Could it be that the child decided whether to be born based on the parents’ faces? If facing a cold father and a trembling mother upon birth, perhaps waiting was a better choice.
Wei Luo stared at the towel gradually soaking in water, unsure how to respond to such a ponderous question.
He wasn’t a doctor; how would he know? Besides, the question wasn’t crucial; what mattered was that they were going to have a child.
After washing up, Wei Luo came to bed and lay down. His breath carried the scent of alcohol, causing Yin Hui to frown and turn around. Disgust was evident on her face, prompting Wei Luo to turn over and breathe in the opposite direction.
Yin Hui expressed concern, “After what we did last night, will it hurt the child?” Their actions had been quite vigorous due to her son’s embarrassing behavior in front of her father-in-law.
Wei Luo looked at the screen and reassured, “It shouldn’t be. If it was unstable, the doctor would have diagnosed it in the morning.”
Yin Hui shared the same thought, and with his affirmation, she felt relieved and went to sleep contentedly.
Wei Luo, however, couldn’t sleep; his mind was filled with thoughts of the previous night. Who would have thought that it was actually the last time of that year?
The following day, as Wei Shan got married, a grand banquet was held in the palace, and everyone’s faces were radiant. During the banquet, conversations revolved around the groom and bride.
Concubine Li, who had only Wei Shan, felt a pang of reluctance despite her daughter’s close proximity and frequent visits. Moreover, her daughter’s marriage had been sorrowful, and her eyes were red.
Princess Xu offered comfort, saying, “Why are you crying? I envy you. Since Jin’er got married, I haven’t seen her in six or seven years.”
Concubine Li wished to shoot her a glare.
Observing Concubine Guo cheerfully holding vegetables, she couldn’t help but comment, “It will be Ying’er’s turn next year at the latest, and you can try the feeling then.”
Guo Fangfei smiled and responded, “Maybe I am more heartless; if my daughter is married so close, there is nothing to cry about.”
Her natal family had three eligible nephews—two younger than her daughter. When the time comes, her daughter could choose among them. Contemplating this, Concubine Guo smiled and glanced at her daughter not far away.
Wei Ying avoided her mother’s gaze. Concubine Li discerned the implication behind Concubine Guo’s words. Considering that the Guo family was also a renowned family of generals in the dynasty, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy. After such calculations, her daughter turned out to be the one who married into the least favorable circumstances among the three girls in the palace.
Feeling distressed, Concubine Li sought solace from King Yan when he arrived that night.
King Yan was exasperated. If it weren’t for his daughter’s marriage, he would have already left to escape the headache caused by Concubine Li the precious nights.
“The Yang family is only two streets away from the palace. Is this worth your tears?” King Yan lay down on the bed, his back turned to Concubine Li.
Concubine Li, still seated at the dressing table, cried as if her tears were endless. She glanced at the mirror from time to time, maintaining a beautifully distressed appearance, and said with a grievance, “You know that’s not why I am crying.”
King Yan snorted heavily.
Stupid woman!
Initially, marrying his daughter into the Yang family was a mere admiration for Yang Pengju. However, he now had a new plan. If successful, his subordinates would be the first to be promoted. The future Yang family would be destined to hold a prominent position among the noble families in the capital.
No matter how Concubine Li cried, King Yan silently contemplated his own major affairs. When Concubine Li finally cried herself to sleep, he took advantage of the quiet and drifted off.
After two nights of solitary sleep, King Yan decided to visit Princess Xu.
Knowing that he was still somewhat uncomfortable, Princess Xu deliberately shared the news of the third daughter-in-law’s pregnancy to lift his spirits.
Surprised, King Yan asked, “When did she get pregnant?”
Princess Xu replied, “The day Shan’er put on makeup.”
King Yan stroked his beard and let out a mysterious laugh. The next day, he sent Eunuch Hai to Chengxin Hall to pick up Xiao Heng. Concerned, Yin Hui asked, “Elder, what mistake did Xiao Heng make?” Eunuch Hai smiled reassuringly, “Don’t worry, the king simply misses Wu Lang.” With that, he led Xiao Heng away.
Upon reaching Qinzheng Hall, King Yan dismissed everyone else and took Xiao Heng to his study. On the desk lay a painting of a flying dragon soaring through the clouds and a tiger roaring in the forest.
Pointing to the painting, King Yan asked Xiao Heng, “Wu Lang, do you think your grandfather looks like this, or this?”
Xiao Heng examined the painting, glanced at his grandfather, and shook his head, “None of them. My grandfather looks good.”
King Yan couldn’t resist continuing to playfully coax his grandson, “Then, if grandfather could become one of them to play with you, which one do you want grandfather to become?”
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Heng pointed to the dragon and declared, “This one can fly.”
King Yan laughed, ruffled his grandson’s hair, and declared, “Okay, then grandfather will transform into this one and fly with Xiao Heng in the future!”
Xiao Heng’s hair was playfully messed up by his grandfather.
Amused, King Yan continued, revealing more paintings with cranes and magpies, asking Xiao Heng to pick his favorite. He playfully kept asking, testing whether Xiao Heng remembered the first picture. Eventually, he shared that it was a secret between grandfather and grandson, emphasizing that he mustn’t tell anyone, including his parents. King Yan warned, “If you do, I’ll punish your father and never allow him to come home. In short, no matter what others ask, you just say that I gave you cake.”
Xiao Heng nodded eagerly, promising to keep the secret.